Wales may look to shake off Bale factor against Slovakia

Not since John Charles, a world-class performer at centre-half and centre-forward in Serie A six decades ago, have they relied so much on one player. When ‘Gentle Giant’ Charles missed the 1958 World Cup quarter-final against Brazil, Wales still performed creditably but lost 1-0 to the eventual champions. 

The current squad have shown little sign of similar resilience without their one genuine class player Bale, who cost a world record 85 million pounds ($123.06 million) when Real Madrid signed him from Tottenham Hotspur three years ago. Operating just behind the main striker, Bale scored seven of the 11 goals that enabled Wales to finish runners-up to Belgium in their qualifying group. 

On Thursday, Bale was adamant that Wales were “never a one-man team”, adding: “For us, it’s a squad thing. We’re ‘Together Stronger’.... we don’t just say it for no reason.” Yet those who believe Wales are totally reliant on their totem can point to how they have fared without him in subsequent friendlies, of which he has played only half an hour in total. They lost three and drew the other one at home to Northern Ireland only through a late penalty. W a l e s looked shaky in the final warm-up game -- a 3-0 defeat by Sweden.